Had a nice even par 72 (that included a triple bogey) in my practice round yesterday but struggled today and took 19th place in the Open/Pro division at the 2018 Speedgolf World Championships on the Shenedoah Course at Turning Stone Resort & Casino.

Got invited to go back for the 3rd time on Golf Smarter Podcasts as a guest for Episode #357.

Show Notes:

"Jaacob Bowden of SwingManGolf.com came in 5th at this year’s Speedgolf World Championships. He hasn’t been in running shape since since High School, but trained for 2 months running the streets of Zurich with a golf bag over his shoulder to prep for this international tournament. He joins host Fred Greene to discuss the elite class of Speed Golf, how to train, the rules, and the benefits to the mental game that comes with playing at a very, very fast pace."

Was in Richmond Virginia from June 26th to July 1st participating as a Pro in a speedgolf event at Kanawah Golf Club in conjunction with the Eastern Open from June 27th-30th in order to raise money for the First Tee of Richmond.

Many thanks to Dude Spellings and Scott Dawley for having me on Episode 8 of the Pace of Change golf podcast.

Show Notes:

Welcome to Episode 8. Today we’re talking with Jaacob Bowden. It was actually hard to nail down an appropriate title for exactly what it is he does. Let’s just say, in the world of golf, he’s pretty much done it all. Jaacob is someone who understands the value of writing down his goals and plans, and then pursuing them step by step until achieved.

Take for example, his goal of becoming a professional golfer. You’d probably guess this was his childhood dream, something he fantasized about since he was a kid. Not exactly. Jaacob was 27 when he got started on this dream. And he was by no means a scratch golfer either. A 14 handicap, someone who admired the single digit player in his foursome. He was quite literally the average golfer. An average golfer with a superhuman belief system and a powerhouse work ethic.

His story blossoms from there into a beautiful picture of a late bloomer who falls in love with golf, and turns his love of the game into a budding entrepreneurial career. He’s an out of the box thinker, a swing speed teacher, an accomplished Speedgolfer, a senior writer for GolfWRX.com, and finally, with the recent release of Sterling Irons®, a golf club innovator. Alright, I’ve said enough. Let’s catch up with Professional Golf Entrepreneur, (hopefully that sums it up), Jaacob Bowden.

I hope you enjoy our conversation with Jaacob Bowden. Definitely want to encourage you to check out his swing speed training program. Like he mentioned, most golfers have never done any swing speed training, and therefore can see massive gains in just a few weeks time. For his unique view on current topics and events in the world of golf, follow him on your social media platforms of choice: he’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Coming up on April 13 at 1:30 p.m. EST (Masters Saturday), CBS will be airing the Speed Golf World Championships from Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, where yours truly notched up a fifth-place finish.

For those not familiar with the sport, speed golf combines your normal golf score with the amount of time that it takes you to finish the round. For example, if you shoot 85 in 75 minutes, your speed golf score would be 160.

The rules of speed golf are basically the same as regular golf except you are allowed to putt with the flagstick in the hole to save time, and lost balls or out-of-bounds balls are treated more or less as lateral hazards. This was done because it was thought to be too severe of a price to pay to not only be assessed the penalty stroke but also the lost time from having to run back to the place where you played the original shot.

Elite speed golfers can shoot in the 60s and 70s in under an hour. Take a look on YouTube at my friend and fellow speed golfer Christopher Smith as he breaks 70 in less than 54 minutes.

Obviously, speed golf won’t be for everyone. However, there are numerous things that regular golfers could learn from speed golfers to help them play better. One thing in particular that I’d like to bring up in this article is how to control your distances when you are between clubs.